What Are the Treatment Options for Meniscal Injury?

Meniscus injuries can be improved through rest and protective measures, physical therapy, topical medications, oral symptomatic medications, or surgical repair—depending on the severity of the injury. These approaches aim to reduce stress on the knee joint, alleviate local inflammation and pain, and restore normal knee function. If symptoms such as frequent knee locking or inability to stand or walk normally occur, prompt medical evaluation and treatment at a hospital are recommended.

1. Rest, Protection, and Conservative Management:

During the mild injury stage, minimize activities involving knee flexion/extension, jumping, or weight-bearing walking; prioritize bed rest. Use supportive braces to stabilize the knee joint structure and prevent ongoing friction or compression on the meniscus, thereby creating optimal conditions for basic tissue repair.

2. Physical Therapy:

During the recovery phase, apply heat therapy, infrared therapy, or ultrasound therapy to relax the knee joint and improve local blood circulation. This helps eliminate accumulated inflammatory substances within the joint, reduce swelling and stiffness, and gradually restore joint mobility.

3. Topical Medications:

When the skin over the knee is intact, apply anti-inflammatory and soothing topical medications to the swollen or painful area. These agents penetrate into the underlying tissues to alleviate local inflammation, reduce joint soreness and swelling caused by meniscal injury, and help relieve overall joint discomfort.

4. Oral Symptomatic Medications:

When joint swelling, pain, and obvious inflammatory responses are present, take oral anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications, along with agents that nourish articular cartilage. These medications help regulate intra-articular metabolism, repair damaged cartilage, reduce systemic discomfort, and stabilize overall knee joint function.

5. Surgical Repair:

Surgery is indicated for severe injuries—such as meniscal tears or displacement—that fail to improve with conservative treatment. Procedures may include trimming or suturing the damaged meniscal tissue and removing pathological tissue to restore the knee joint’s structural integrity and functional capacity.

In the later stages of recovery, progressively introduce knee flexion and extension exercises. Perform moderate strengthening exercises for the leg muscles to enhance joint stability. Avoid high-impact activities and prolonged weight-bearing in daily life to sustain long-term knee health and minimize recurrence risk.